Jordanian terrorist attempted to stab female Israeli soldier at Jerusalem's Damascus Gate

Border Police shot and killed a Jordanian man on Friday as he attempted to stab a female officer at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, police said.

The officer was not injured in the attack.

The man arrived at the Damascus Gate from inside the Old City and approached a group of officers with a knife drawn.

The officers, who were in the area on a "safety and security mission," saw the man coming towards them with the blade and opened fire, police said.

Upon searching the man's body after the attempted attack, police found three knives in his possession.

The 28-year-old assailant was carrying a Jordanian passport, but police were still investigating if he also held a Palestinian ID card. His name has yet to be released.

The man entered Israel through the Allenby border crossing on Thursday afternoon.

It was not immediately clear why he was in Israel, though it is possible he was visiting for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, which ends on Friday.

The area has been closed off, and additional officers were brought to the scene, the spokesperson said.

This was the first attack at the Damascus Gate in nearly six months. Last year, the Old City locale was the scene of numerous stabbings and shooting attacks by Palestinians. The violence has dramatically waned in the past several months.